At the Drop of a Hat
by ShunKazamis-Girl
Summary: S.H.I.E.L.D agents have gone missing, but nobody knew how. The only clue was that it took place somewhere in the big top. Assigned to find them, the Avengers decided to watch the shows from Cirque du Soleil to figure out what caused this. Little did they knew was that they would find themselves running away with the circus. Literally.
1. Let the Show Begin

_Cirque Du Soleil._

It was a word that piqued wonder and curiosity to those who hear it.

It was a word that sent shivers to their spine and drew people to their senses.

It was a word that would lead to one thing:_ a_ _circus_.

Translated as "Circus of the Sun" in French, this Canadian entertainment company creates shows that were unlike anything in the world; its contemporary blend of circus acts and street entertainment could lure spectators into a world or a story that would never escape their imaginations.

Watching the performers under the big top was like seeing colourful fish underwater; once you caught sight of them, whether performing for an act or playing as a character, you could actually connect to them in an indescribable but incredible way.

The environment may seem to be nothing but a blank stage with some instruments, complex equipment, and occasional props here and there, but once the circus starts, it would immediately transform into a different world. Colours dull or bright would burst out, music seemed to come out from everywhere, and the lights would guide you to your journey.

As time flowed by like a swirling stream, you would be in that unique world one moment, only to snap into reality again.

The show might've been over, but in everyone's hearts, the show still goes on.

So how were the Avengers involved in this?

…

…

That, true believers, is where you'll find out.

* * *

**Eugene: **Alright, so I still got a crapload of stories I owe you guys, but I want to try something... completely different. I'm actually a Cirque Du Soleil fan so it'll be pretty interesting to write in that fandom. There weren't any crossovers in THAT genre, though it has about 80+ stories in this site so far, so I think I'm the very first person to do so. I recommend looking up Cirque Du Soleil as the plot goes on, but otherwise, enjoy~!


	2. From Vacation to Mission

It was _supposed _to be what Nick Fury calls 'a typical mission'.

Although to be honest, it actually started off as a short vacation for one of the S.H.I.E.L.D agents. After he was done infiltrating a crime lord's secret base in Amsterdam, Netherlands*****, the agent decided to start off his relaxation time by going to a circus that just happened to visit the city. But then at some point while watching the show, he just… disappeared.

No Intel, no contacts, _nothing._

Curious and suspicious of this unexpected action, Fury sent a few other agents to find him (he thought the agent was skipping his duty). They were scattered in other places around the world, as there were other shows similar to the one the missing agent was in. But they suddenly vanished as well; two were a few buildings away from the supposed location, while three of them were missing near wherever the contents of the show were exposed, such as open doors or inside air vents. They didn't come back for a long time.

Starting to get frustrated, the superspy kept sending more and more S.H.I.E.L.D agents into those shows and the circus thing escalated into a full-out mission. But they all disappeared, even if they only caught no or little glimpse of the performance. Still, many had to investigate who or what was responsible for all this, some even giving up their original assignments just to fill up those who weren't there. Some were willing to save their fellow comrades, while others didn't want to leave their work behind. The ones who did go were around at the beginning of the show, only to find that there was no trace of them. Not a single piece of equipment recorded those actions and there were no survivors. Even with the skills and technology, none of those assets actually worked on the unknown force.

About 1/4 of all S.H.I.E.L.D agents remained, as most were working around in the S.H.I.E.L.D hellicarrier and cannot leave their duties there. Fury decided to put the mission on hold at this point, as he theorized that whoever or whatever was behind those mysterious disappearances, it must have some kind of connection to the entire circus or S.H.I.E.L.D itself. Otherwise, how else that… thing would even figure out who or where they were in the audience (or behind the scenes, in some cases)?

But then one day, Agent Coulson and his team of agents were taking a quick rest near a circus tent while chasing down this smuggler somewhere in South America******. They didn't stop by to watch the show inside, as they were in the middle of their own mission, but somehow, there was no sign of activity from them.

Fury received a transmission from Coulson before the same incident happened; the one that cost S.H.I.E.L.D a lot of agents. There wasn't any evidence of the thing's existence, but he _did _mention a bright flowing light, a weird tingly feeling, and something moving around in the darkness of the tent, but that was before static was cut off and the lines went dead. None of the spectators even noticed the sudden changes, paying more attention at the show in front of them than what's outside of it. Still, it was very weird.

How could this strange phenomenon just identify which person worked with S.H.I.E.L.D and then kidnapping them without any notice? Even if the kidnappings weren't always planned, how could it even identify the agents? Such an act could only be performed by something abnormal, but unlike aliens, terrorists, or mutants, this was something nobody has ever faced. One that would only take place in the greatest show on Earth…

This looked like a job for the Avengers.

* * *

*****The show that the missing S.H.I.E.L.D agent was watching that time was called Koozå, which was in Amsterdam, Netherlands that time while I'm writing this (so that would be from Thursday. March. 13, 2014 to Sunday. April. 27, 2014)

******It's an Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D reference, in which Coulson and a group of agents go on missions together after the events of The Avengers. This was just a random assignment I made up though, so it's not canon. Oh, and they were actually near the show Corteo in Còrdoba, Argentina (it starts at Saturday. May. 3, 2014, so that would be a day after the premiere of The Amazing Spider-Man 2, and ends at Sunday. May. 25, 2014).


End file.
